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"This is it" Annabeth pointed at the old stone bridge "I recognize that frolad she had said we He didn’t want to leave her yet In fact, he wasn’t sure he could make himself do it when the time came Gaea’s words came back to him: Will you fall alone?
He stared at the river, wondering how they could od Tiberinus He didn’t really want to jump in The Tiber didn’t look much cleaner than the East River back horouchy river spirits
He gestured to a nearby café with tables overlooking the water "It’s about lunchtiain?"
Even though it was noon, the place was empty They picked a table outside by the river, and a waiter hurried over He looked a bit surprised to see them--especially when they said they wanted lunch
"American?" he asked, with a pained smile
"Yes," Annabeth said
"And I’d love a pizza," Percy said
The waiter looked like he was trying to s a euro coin "Of course you would, signor And let uess: a Coca-Cola? With ice?"
"Aweso him such a sour face It wasn’t like Percy had asked for a blue Coke
Annabeth ordered a panini and some fizzy water After the waiter left, she smiled at Percy "I think Italians eat a lot later in the day They don’t put ice in their drinks And they only do pizza for tourists"
"Oh" Percy shrugged "The best Italian food, and they don’t even eat it?"
"I wouldn’t say that in front of the waiter"
They held hands across the table Percy was content just to look at Annabeth in the sunlight It always ht and warm Her eyes took on the colors of the sky and the cobblestones, alternately brown or blue
He wondered if he should tell Annabeth his dreaainst it She didn’t need anything else to worry about--not hat she was facing
But it made him wonder…ould have happened if they hadn’t scared off Chrysaor’s pirates? Percy and Annabeth would’ve been put in chains and taken to Gaea’s minions Their blood would have been spilled on ancient stones Percy guessed thathorrible sacrifice But Annabeth and he had been in plenty of bad situations together They could’ve figured out an escape plan, saved the day…and Annabeth wouldn’t be facing this solo quest in Rome
It doesn’t matter when you fall, Gaea had said
Percy kneas a horrible wish, but he alretted that they hadn’t been captured at sea At least Annabeth and he would’ve been together
"You shouldn’t feel asha about Chrysaor, aren’t you? Swords can’t solve every problem You saved us in the end"
In spite of himself, Percy s"
"I know you," she said
And you like me anyway? Percy wanted to ask, but he held it back
"Percy," she said, "you can’t carry the weight of this whole quest It’s impossible That’s why there are seven of us And you’ll have to let me search for the Athena Parthenos on my own"
"I e chunk of our lives was taken away If I lost you again--"
Lunch arrived The waiter lookedaccepted the fact that they were clueless Aive them and treat them politely
"It is a beautiful view," he said, nodding toward the river "Enjoy, please"
Once he left, they ate in silence The pizza was a bland, doughy square with not a lot of cheese Maybe, Percy thought, that’s why Romans didn’t eat it Poor Romans
"You’ll have to trustto her sandwich, because she didn’t ot to believe I’ll come back"
He sed another bite "I believe in you That’s not the problem But come back from where?"
The sound of a Vespa interrupted the the riverfront and did a double take Theand baby blue The driver was a guy in a silky gray suit Behind hier woman with a headscarf, her hands around the man’s waist They weaved between café tables and puttered to a stop next to Percy and Annabeth
"Why, hello," the man said His voice was deep, alreased back froy face He was handsome in a 1950s dad-on-television way Even his clothes seemed old-fashioned When he stepped off his bike, the waistline of his slacks ay higher than nored to look oober Percy had trouble guessing his age--h the randfatherish